Report: Cristiano Ronaldo ‘on the cusp’ of contract extension with Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo is close to signing a contract extension that will keep him at Real Madrid until 2020.

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the two best footballers in the world, and a player that any team would break the bank to acquire. But ever since he joined Real Madrid, he has won multiple trophies, broken numerous club records and has scored more goals than games played. It should come as no surprise, then, that Madrid want him to stay for the rest of his career.

Spanish news outlet AS is reporting that a contract extension with Cristiano Ronaldo has been agreed upon, and the only thing that needs to be worked out is the length. He will either be staying until 2020, when he is 35, or 2021, when he is 36.

When Gareth Bale broke Ronaldo’s transfer record to arrive at Real Madrid, he threatened Ronaldo’s perch at the top. They have often argued over who should take free kicks, while Ronaldo has shouted at Bale after not passing to him. But that’s because the Portuguese is a perfectionist, and he always wants his team to play to their full capabilities.

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Ronaldo wrapped up a banner year for Real Madrid in which he scored 51 goals in 48 games and won the Champions League. Meanwhile, at Euro 2016, he helped his country win their first ever championship after a slow start. As such, he is considered a front-runner for the Ballon d’Or, because even if his contributions in those Finals were minimal, they don’t get there without him. And a strong start to the La Liga season would only punctuate that claim.

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Ronaldo has spent his prime years with Real Madrid, and if he plays out the rest of his contract, his productivity is inevitably going to decline. But a new era of Galacticos will soon follow suit, and an average season by Ronaldo’s standards is still an exceptional season by anybody else’s.